Retail news round-up on June 25, 2014: Sainsbury’s Bank hires staff from Travelex; Prince Charles’ Highgrove business to focus on online sales; and Government urges BRC to establish supply chain guidelines.

Sainsbury’s Bank brings 500 staff from Travelex

Sainsbury’s banking division is hiring 500 staff as part of its plans to expand its travel money operations, the Telegraph reported. Employees will come over to Sainsbury’s Bank from foreign exchange company Travelex.

The move is part of aggressive plans to take a greater slice of the market. It expects to open around 28 additional in-store bureaux by the end of the year, as well as trialling ATMs that dispense foreign currency.

Prince Charles’ Highgrove retail business to concentrate on boosting online sales

Prince Charles aims to focus on expanding his Highgrove retail business through online sales after shutting down one of its two stores, the Telegraph reported. The Highgrove shop located in Somerset’s Bath will close its doors on June 28. The Prince’s original Highgrove shop near the estate in Tetbury, Glos, will remain open, as will its concession store at Fortnum & Mason in London.

British government urges BRC to establish guidelines to end supply chain abuses

The UK government is urging retailers to establish guidelines to help eradicate abuses in the supply chain in the wake of the horsemeat scandal and the Dhaka clothing factory disaster, the Financial Times reported. Business minister Jenny Willott will write to the British Retail Consortium today asking them to set out the guidelines to help eliminate abuses such as forced labour and dangerous working conditions among overseas suppliers. The guidelines would bring support and advice for retailers together in one place. They will include examples of human rights reporting that UK based companies are already doing in this area, information on ethical auditing and accreditation schemes available, such as the Fair Trade Foundation.

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